Open Doors & Hearts

Hello everyone!
We hope everyone is doing well and is in good health!
We have some exciting news to share!! As you all most likely know, since Ben and I have come back from our 3 month internship trip in Kenya, we have been seeking and praying for where God wanted to send us next, for where our two year apprenticeship would be.

We have been seeking God in this area as we have been back in our home town, and God has been providing us with so many opportunities since we have been here, which we are so thankful for. 
Long story short, after praying and talking with our missions agency, W.I.M., we have come to the decision that for the near future (the next two years at least), we will be serving in a very diverse area that strongly needs to hear about Jesus: Inner-City Cleveland.
“Wait, isn’t Cleveland where you are right now?” 
Yes, yes it is!!!
God has been opening up many doors for us to serve in inner city ministry, including us getting more connected with Reaping the Harvest Ministries, that has a church plant in the city!

 

He has not only connected us with that organization and church, but he has also connected us with people at the church we attend at the city we are currently living in (so we are connected with two churches), which is Abundant Life Community Church. We have been extremely blessed to connect with certain people from this church who want to take part in the ministry we are apart of in Cleveland!! 
Through these relationships with both churches, God is connecting us with more and more individuals, whether they know people from the church or whether they attend, and growing the church and ministry in Cleveland! It has been so incredible! 
We have many hopes and prayers for expanding this ministry in Cleveland, and we are so, so blessed for the amazing, God fearing people at Reaping the Harvest Ministry who have welcomed us into their ministry!!

We both still have hopes to serve over seas if and when God allows, as it is still our heart to reach the people of the world (especially Africa) for His kingdom. We know that God has placed us to do his work right here where we are, right now, especially knowing there are SO MANY different cultures, just in the area of Cleveland that we have been serving in, that don’t know about God.

God is doing amazing things!! And we are so blessed and humbled to be apart of all he has been doing so far!!
What’s a BenRach blog post with out any pictures? Miserable I tell you, just miserable!
Here are a few pictures of what has been going on with Reaping the Harvest Ministries!!

 

For the past month or so, we have been collecting winter clothes and holding clothing drives at the church. This was last Friday, we think about 30 or so people came in, most just from meeting them from the sidewalk.

 
 

This man, standing next to Zipporah, found himself a new winter coat and some good boots! He was so happy about the boots that he almost cried, and said he’d throw out his current shoes since they were so worn. When he took the new winter coat, he left his old coat at the drive, saying he only needed one. What an incredible heart.

 
 

Good conversations at the Clothing Drive

 

Ben and John (who is part of RTHM), handing out FREE candy (courtesy of CVS), and talking to people/inviting them to check out the clothes&invite them to the Sunday service.

  
 

A few group pictures. Our Pastor from Abundant Life Community Church, Rocky Taylor (back row, center) joined is for the clothing drive, as well as Paul (next to Ben) who we have connected with from ALCC about ministry work.

   

The ALCC group along with Paul’s friend who joined us!

 

This was from this past Saturday. We only had a few people come in to view the clothes, all if which we had met before. There was only four of us to run the Drive on Saturday, and even though we may have only had a few who came in, we got to connect with them on a deeper level. They shared some of their stories with us, and here’s Zipporah, sharing the Gospel with them and what was on her heart.

  
  

Yesterday’s service. It may not look like a lot but this church is growing!! Praise the Lord!

 

This has nothing to do with ministry work (Okay, maybe a little), only that we’ve had some crazy weather. This was two weeks ago, right before we had a blizzard. Now it’s 60 degrees yesterday and today. We are thankful that every day we have had a clothing drive, God has provided a NICE and warm, sunny day!!!

 
 
That is a bit of what we have been up to!!! We are so excited and SO THANKFUL!!!!!

Prayers would be so appreciated for this ministry! Thank you for reading this all the way through!!
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God is good all the time, and all the time He is good!!

We hope you all have a wonderful week! Happy Monday and thank you, again, for taking the time to read our post!!

God bless!

-Ben&Rachel